The female zombie let out a piercing shriek, reminiscent of grinding metal. Those below couldn't help but cover their ears. Mr. Kote, on the other hand, looked like a tightly strung bow, leaning slightly forward. A low growl, akin to a wolf's, came from his throat.
The glowing little sword he held suddenly grew larger, transforming into a giant blade. It thrust towards the female zombie who, unable to resist, turned to escape. Her speed was quick; in an instant, she had already dashed over ten meters.
But the giant sword was quicker. It transformed into a lightning bolt, piercing through her body as she attempted to flee.
Instead of simply striking and disappearing, the lightning became a chain, lifting the female zombie's body into the air as if yanked by an unseen force. She struggled in the air, emitting a series of chilling screams. The eerie sound sent shivers down everyone's spine.
The horrifying screams startled Chief Louise and her team, causing their hairs to stand on end. But their eyes remained glued to the female zombie, fearing they might miss a single moment.
With a thunderous 'boom', the lightning chain transformed into a ball of fire, instantly setting the female zombie ablaze. Amidst the eerie wails, the female zombie suddenly fell from the sky and crashed onto the ground. But the fire did not cease, it continued to burn intensely.
The sound of a shotgun firing came next. It was Santos, who couldn't bear it any longer. The gruesome scene was torturing him so he impulsively fired a shot. The bullet hit the female zombie and her arm flew off, landing on the ground and quickly burning into black ash.
"Fire!" Chief Louise shouted the moment she saw it. "Fire! Turn this monster into dust." As she yelled, she decisively opened fire herself.
"Bang, bang, bang!" Bullets flew continuously, hitting the female zombie's body. The previously robust body was now riddled with holes. Arms, head, and various parts of her body were blasted apart under the bullets' impact and fell to the ground where they continued to burn into black ash.
"Cease fire, everyone cease fire!" Chief Louise suddenly raised her fist and shouted. Then she walked toward the remnants of the body. It was hardly recognizable anymore. A shoe stepped on a piece of black bone, grinding it into black powder with a crunching sound.
"Chief— this thing, it should be dead," Santos walked over, touching his nose. The smell was pungent and stinking. However, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
However, just as they were feeling relieved, Mr. Kote took two steps forward and suddenly collapsed to his knees, hands bracing himself on the ground, panting heavily.
"Mr. Kote—" Hearing the unusual noise behind him, Joseph turned his head to look and immediately rushed forward to support him, saying, "You look terrible, I'll take you home to rest."
"Yes, I feel exhausted, so cold... Joseph... listen, take me home, I'm afraid... I'm afraid I can't control it, I might transform. Only you and Mr. Jason know my true identity, don't let them see me as an enemy," Mr. Kote grabbed Joseph's collar and whispered, "Find an excuse to leave, take me with you, the sooner the better."
Joseph knew the consequences would be unpredictable if Mr. Kote truly transformed. So, he shouted to Chief Louise who was excitedly reporting to headquarters: "Hey, Chief Louise! Mr. Kote has exhausted his strength. He urgently needs to rest. If we could find a car, I'll take him home."
"I'll find one. There were several police cars parked outside earlier. I'll go get one!" Santos jumped out eagerly and ran towards the parking lot in front of the detention center.
"Hang in there, buddy," Joseph said to Mr. Kote, "I'll get you home."
At this time, Chief Louise came over as well, and she said to Officer Patton: "I have contacted headquarters, and I estimate that people will soon come to take over the situation here...Hey, Mr. Kote, do you feel better?" She squatted down, looking at Mr. Kote who was kneeling on the ground, hands supporting himself.
"I can hold on, as long as you can get me a car to take me home, I would be very grateful," Mr. Kote managed a weak smile at Chief Louise.
The sound of a car horn pierced the silence. Headlights swept over them, and a police car pulled up next to Joseph. Santos popped his head out from the driver's seat and said, "Hey, mate, help him in. I'll take you guys home."
Joseph shook his head at Santos and said, "No, mate... your job is done. Now it's my turn, get out. I'll take Mr. Kote home. Of course... I'll bring the police car back to the station tomorrow. Trust me."
"Alright, I wanted to do my bit," Santos raised his hands and got out of the car, saying, "Alright, the car's yours. I believe the chief won't mind."
Chief Louise shrugged and then said to Joseph, "Take him home, let him rest well. Don't worry about tomorrow... take as long as you need!" She then saluted Mr. Kote, who was barely standing.
"Hey, buddy, we're going home!" Joseph helped Mr. Kote up. Officer Patton also came to help, pushing Mr. Kote into the back seat. Joseph got into the driver's seat, started the car, reversed, and then drove off down the road they had come from.
Watching the car quickly drive away, Chief Louise waited until the car was no longer in sight before she turned to Officer Patton and said: "This world is too crazy. Never thought we'd experience such a bizarre scene. It will be a memory for a lifetime... Now, we should find that bastard, right?" "Who?" Officer Patton was momentarily confused, then suddenly realized and said, "Right, but... so far, the information about the transaction we found is already on your desk. However... in these past two days, you've been out and haven't had time to look at it. It's a guy named Ritz Wood, but... we've investigated this Ritz Wood. He's not from around here, just five years ago, he inherited this house as the heir."
"So where is Ritz Wood now?" Chief Louise continued to ask.
"God knows, he disappeared after completing the transaction with Mr. Luke Prescott... Yes, disappeared. What else can you do? It's as if this person never existed. From the over a thousand Ritz Woods we could find in the whole country, after matching their age, gender, and physical features, there are still around thirty that fit the criteria." Officer Patton shook his head helplessly. "But these thirty people have never inherited a house or have any tax records in that regard. In other words... that person seems to have vanished into thin air."
"Damn it," Chief Louise couldn't help but curse.
"I bet that guy from the FBI, Bell Jensen, definitely knew about it already." Officer Patton shrugged. "But... now he must be desperate to find Ritz Wood."
"I hope he can find him. But that's none of our concern anymore. We found the female zombie and eliminated them. This is my town, so I'm responsible for it." Chief Louise shrugged. At this moment, faint sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance.
"The police always arrive last..." Officer Patton suddenly chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Actually... I didn't even feel like a police officer just now."
On the streets of the town, police lights were flashing, and police cars were continuously converging on the detention center. A large number of people and horses rushed over. Meanwhile, a police car slowly drove into the front of a slightly dilapidated villa.
"Can you hold on, Mr. Kote?" Joseph got out of the car and opened the back seat, helping Mr. Kote out. "You don't look well."
"Dad!" At this moment, a bright and beautiful girl flew out of the villa, followed by her mother, Sandra. "Mr. Cox, what happened to my dad?"
"He did something amazing. Quick, help him inside, I'm afraid he can't hold on!" Joseph beckoned to her.